Moving-picture machine



W. E. ARNOLD AND L. Z. NIGHSWONGER. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1912. RENEWED APR. 28. 1920.

1 ,360,707. Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- J o I 4 1: 7 7;" z -/9 o 6 j 2 M j W. E. ARNOLD AND L. Z. NIGHSWONGER.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1917. RENEWED APR. 28. 1920.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gvwo'nkous MZZ/Y/MZQZ a Z- ZJVj/aaauongec affouwq coiuity of Osceola and danger of the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIS n ARNOLD AND LYDIAS z. NIGHSWONGER, or sr. CLOUD, FLORIDA.

Tacllwhomz't May .concche: V

Be it known that we,-1WiLLIs jEgAnis'onnq and LYDIAS Z. N IGHSWONGER, citizens of the United States,.residin at St. (loud, in the tate' of FloridaQ-have and useful Improve Moving-Picture Machines,- of

invented certain new ments in which the following is a specification, ref-' erencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing. I r

This invention relatesto certain new and useful improvements in moving picture machines, and more particularlyto'means for controlling the tensionof film on the rewinding reel, the object being to provide an au-- tomatic tension control so. constructed that a-fi-lmlof any length can be rewound without adjusting the tension controlled means.

.Another object of ourinvention is to pro,--. .vide an automatic tension control which .is: so constructed thatthe same can be readily; well-kr1own makes of, moving picture machines now in use, and"- after once being Iadjustedwill "enable the applied to any of the filmto-be wound on the rewinding reel from the lower sprocket in such a manner that all filin' being broken or injured in any way is prevented appended claims: I V V In the acconipanymgdrawmgs; F lgure 1 is an el moving picture machine showing-the appli-' cation of our improvedoonstruction of tension control thereto Fig. 2 1s aside elevationof the same Fig. 3 is an elevation of the tension-con-v trofl detached;

a moving picture machine showing the tension device appliedand the line ofyfilm'in passing from the lower sprocket of the machine to the rewinding reel; and

Figr5'is a'detailview or a slightly mat fied form showing a stead of a weight. 1

Like numerals of'reference refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

MoVING-PITCTURE MiroI'iI'NE.

Specification of Letters Patent shaft being adaptedto objects and advantages 3 of the in'vention'will be hereinafter set forth: and the novel features thereof defined by the" evation of a portion of a 1 I posite end is Fig. 4; is aside elevation? of a portion of 1 r a loosely mounted spring employed in Patented Nov. 30, 1920. 28, um. Serial No. 377,419.

In the drawings 1 indicates a portion of the frame of a moving picture machine which is mounted on a bed 2 and is provided with .a-driven shaft 3 carrying a gear 4 meshing with adriving ear 5/ The driven shaft 3 carries a lower sprocket 6 and a drive pulley 7 carrying a drive belt 8 which is adaptedto pass over a' pulley 9 carried by a shaft 10 arranged under the bed 2, said reel 11.: The-construction of moving picture machine herein shown and described is what is known in the trade as a Power 6-A machine, but we do not wish to limit ourselves to any particular construction of machine, as the construction of tension device issuch by slightly modifying can be applied to other well-known makes of machines.

Our invention comprisesa bed plate adapted to be bolted to the bed" 2 the moving picture machine, and provided with a bearing in which loosely mounted a rock shaft 13 which is provided at one end with a bifurcated' collar 14 having an integral arm 15 in the end of which is secured a shaft 17 carrying a loosely mounted spool 18 adapt- Another objectof our invention s to providealten'sion control which is exceedingly.-

ed to bear against the film 19 extending from the lower sprocket 6 to the rewinding reel 11, saidfilm passing between guide rolls 2() and 21 arranged'on the bed to each side of an passes. I

Secured to the shaft 13 in the bifurcated collar let by a pin 22 is an arm 23' c'arrying an adjusting screw 24' adapted to engage the arm 15'so as to limit the movement of the arm 15 on the shaft 13, and it willbe seen that by this construction the position of the arm in respect to the loop of the film can be adjusted 'fortaking up the stretch of the driving belt as will be hereinafter fully describe Secured to the shaft 13 adjacent the opan arm 25 carrying a shaft 26 at ts outer end on which is loosely mounted a groove 'roller 27 adapted to bear against the belt 58 asshown in Figs. duce a belt tightener. Theshaft 13 carries grooved roller 28 adjacent the arm 25 over which one of the runs of the belt 8 passes as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Fixed on the end of 'thesh'aft 13 is the split collar portion 29 of an arm 30 on receive a rewinding the same the device opening through which the film' 1 and 2 to prowhich is slidably mounteda weight 31 held in its adjusted position by a spring 32 which isadapted to be seated in notches 33 formed in the arm so'asto hold the weight inits adiusted position in order to apply the.

a proper tension.

In the modificationlshown in Fig. 5 a

shaft 18"carries'a coil spring 3a one end" of which is fixed to the shaft and the other position shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 4 has been adjusted so that the spool 18 is held against the film runningto the rewinding reel 11,

and as the shaft carrying thisreel is being.

driven by the belt 8, the film is wound on the rewinding reel 11, and as the convolutions of thefilm increase on the rewinding reel the loop of the film straightens out,

causing the shaft 13 tobe rocked in its hearing through the medium of the arms 14 and 23 so as to loosen the belt'S to allow spool 18 is held in contactwith the film said shafts, one of said shafts being provided with a sprocket and the other with a parts will be returned to'the proper posi-x Vtion so that the belt will be tightened so the belt to slip on the pulley 9, and asthe by the tension applied to the device, the

as'to cause the reel to revolve so as to wind the film thereon.

vFrom the foregolng description it will-be seen that we have provided an automatic tension controlled device for a moving'picture machlne for controlling the rewmdmg .of the film on the rewinding reel, as it has been found that it is necessary to provide means for controlling the tension as the size of the filmincreases on the rewinding,

reel as it requires less tension in starting i a to rewind the film than required when the reel is nearly full.

We claim:

1. An automatic tension control for mov ing picture machines, comprising a rock 1 shaft, an arm carried by said rock shaft having a spool in engagement with the film, meansfor retarding-the movement of said shaft in one dlrect on, an arm loosely mount- 7 ed on said shaft carrying a roller adapted toengage the drive belt of the machine and" a collar fixed on said shaft having anarm adapted to be engaged by the first men tioned arm.

2. A moving picture machine having a pair of shafts, one of said shafts having a film sprocket and the other-a rewinding reel,pulleys carried by said shafts, a drive belt passing over said pulleys, a rock shaft,

an arm carried by said rock shaft having Q a roller for engaging the belt, a collar fixed Oi onsaid shaft having an arm-and a weight adjustably mounted on said arm for retard- ,7

ing the oscillation of said rock shaft.

3. A moving picture machine having a pair of shaftsone of saidshafts being provided with a sprocket and the other with a rewinding reel to receive the film from said sprocket,'pulleys carried by said, shafts, a.

belt passing over said pulleys, a rock shaft,

an adjustablelarm carried by said rockshaft ,having a spool engaging the film, and a second arm carriediby said rock: shaft having a roller engaging the belt.

4. A movingpicture machine having a with a rewlnding reel adapted to receive the engaging the .film, means for limiting the movement of said armronjsaid shaft 111' one direction, means for retardmg the oscillation of said shaft, and an arm carried'by said rock shaft having a lroller for adjusting the tension of said beltJi film from the sprocket, a rock shaft, anarm carried by said rockshaft having a spool 5. A moving picture machineincluding a pair of shafts, means fordriving'one of said shafts, a driving connection between rewinding reel toireceive the film from said sprocket, a rock-shaft, an arm carried by said rock shafthaving a spool adapted to engage the film, and means carried by said shaft for adjustingsaid driving connection.

6. A moving picture machine having a shaft driven by a belt adapted to. receive a rewinding'reel for the film, a rock, shaft having an arm carrying a spool adapted to engage the film'in its passage to the rewinding reel, saidrockshaft having a loosely mounted roller'over which said drive belt passes,'an arm carried by said rock shaft having a weight adjustably' mounted thereon, shaft having aroll engaging the belt,

11o and anarm earned by said rock 7. ,A moving picture machine having shaft driven by a belt adapted to'receive a winding reelfor the'film, abed plate secured-to saidmachine'provided'with a bearing, a rock shaftmounte'd in said bearing, a

bifurcated collarloosely mounted on said shaft having an integral arm carrying a looselymounted spool adapted to bear against the film in its passage to therewinding reel, an arm fixed to said. shaft having an adjusting screw adapted tote engaged by the first-mentionedvarm, said rock shaft having a loosely mountedroller over which said-belt passes, an arm secured to said rock shaft having a loosely mounted roller engaging said belt; a collar fiXe'd'to said rock shaft having a tubular armfanda weightslidably mounted on said tubular arm havthe film, and a member fixed on said shaft having an adjustable member arranged in the path of travel of said loosely mounted arm.

9. A tension device for moving picture machines, comprising a support, a rock shaft loosely mounted in said support having means for retarding the oscillation thereof, an arm fixed on said shaft carrying a roller adapted to engage a drive belt of the machine, a roller loosely mounted on said shaft over which said drive belt passes, a second arm loosely mounted on said shaft having a spool adapted to engage the film of the machine, and an arm fixed to said rock shaft having an adjusting screw adapted to be engaged by said loosely mounted arm for adjusting the position of the spool carried thereby in respect to the film.

10. A tension device for machines having a moving film carried by rotating spools comprising a rock shaft, an arm loosely mounted on said rock shaft having a spool for engaging the'film, and a second arm mounted on said shaft having means for controlling the driving means of said spools.

11. A tension device for machines having a moving film carried by spaced spools comprising a rock shaft having means for. retarding the same, a loosely mounted arm mounted on said rock shaft having a spool engaging the film, and a second arm fixed to said shaft having means for controlling the driving of said film carrying spools.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

P. D. MARINE, J. L. WARNER. 

